


eighth wonder

by coffeecrowns



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Ace Martin also, Autistic Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Canon Asexual Character, Canon typical Jon not knowing feelings words, Cuddling & Snuggling, Disabled Character, Fluff, Getting Together, Good Cows (The Magnus Archives), Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist With a Cane, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Relationship Negotiation, Set in Episodes 159-160 | Scottish Safehouse Period (The Magnus Archives), Slice of Life, Trans Martin Blackwood, but he's trying!!, nothing bad happens, thank god thats a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24621412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeecrowns/pseuds/coffeecrowns
Summary: Martin laughs. “I’d rather you stay with me. I promised you bread, after all.”“Then I’ll be here.” Jon tells the universe that those words are a threat.Or, Jon and Martin get a few moments of peace together.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 21
Kudos: 208





	eighth wonder

**Author's Note:**

> tma made me ace so in exchange Martin and Jon get to hold my trauma for a few minutes. 
> 
> title from the lemon demon song of the same name - which is a vibe 
> 
> Shannon, ty for the eye emojis

  
They wake up in bed together. Rather, Jon wakes up because the air pressure has changed and it’s different from London’s. He’s acclimatized to air pressure before it rains twice before, he’s lived in three places in England. It’s part of the deal. It means his knee and knuckles ache. It’s nice to lie here. 

Martin is wearing the hoodie he was wearing yesterday. And boxers. Jon put his cold feet on Martin’s calves last night and Martin had just laughed. It was nice, being able to be part of Martin’s space. There wasn’t time to worry about it, last night, and he’s firmly decided not to worry about it until Martin actually wakes up. 

They’re in bed together. Neither of them are wearing pants. Jon has not been in this situation since he lived with Georgie. More recently it was because she wouldn’t let his filthy jeans (and only pair of trousers) in her bed, but was insistent he sleep there, and she was worried about a potential concussion. Back when they had dated, when this was a normal situation for him to be in, he told her “I don’t want to have sex”. Georgie, pragmatic, wonderfully Georgie cracked open her eyes to look at his face, and just asked, “Generally?”

“So far,” he had replied, and she did a slow blink at him and said, “Okay.” 

But that was years ago, before he was a monster. 

But he told himself he wasn’t going to worry about it until Martin woke up, and if all he ended up getting was a few stolen moments radiating is Martin’s warm peace, then he would take it greedily. He studies Martin’s face, the way his eyelashes fan out, the way his curls frame his face. He is so painfully handsome, like a painting Jon wants to sink into and live in. There is no one Jon would rather be in this objectively awful situation with, and he normally hates working with other people. 

It is such a relief that Martin is here, with a stripe of sunlight illuminating his smooth brown skin, a few shades darker than Jon’s own. Martin is safe, Jon is safe, and he falls back asleep without really meaning to. 

Jon is so well rested when he wakes up for the second time that he’s not even mad about the lost time. The pain in his hands has even eased a little. Martin is in the kitchen. He’s singing. Jon follows the sound carefully, cane in hand trying not to spook his - well. Martin. 

“Good morning,” Martin says. 

“Yes,” Jon replies. 

They drink tea in Jon’s favourite sort of silence. Martin makes them toast from the bread they picked up on their way into town late last night, and then they end up on the couch, curled into each other. Jon is laying on Martin, mostly, with Martin’s arms a steady pressure. It’s incredibly good. Jon could do this all day. 

But Martin might be getting bored. Martin probably wants more. Jon doesn’t even know what they  _ are _ , if they’re anything. Jon barely has friendships figured out despite years of trying. 

“Martin.”

“Yes, Jon?” comes the reply, relaxed. Or bored. 

“I. Well. I like you. An awful lot really.” 

“I like you too Jon.” Martin sounds fond. Jon is quite sure about that one, but that doesn’t actually make this easier. 

“But I don’t want to have sex with you. I think you are attractive, please don’t think otherwise, but I don’t want to have sex with you or anyone for that matter.” 

Martin’s arms tighten around Jon’s shoulder’s, just a little, and it’s comforting. 

“That’s, not a problem Jon. I’m ace too.” 

“You’re what?”

“Ace. Asexual. No sexual attraction. Wasn’t a huge realization after trans  _ and  _ gay.” The Beholding sends a completely unhelpful flurry of purple and grey and black through his mind, and even though Jon Knows the answer, he still says: “You can just do that?”

“It’s more a matter of Not Doing, but yeah, of course. Not everyone is okay with it, but plenty of people are bad with consent regardless of acephobia.” Martin’s voice drops off at the end of that sentence. 

“Martin?” Jon asks, concerned. 

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. One revelation at a time?”

“Sure.” Jon waits for a beat, thinking. “So, do you think sex is gross?”

Martin laughs, but he’s clearly smiling kindly when he says, “Eh. If you wanted to, I probably wouldn’t hate it. I’ve had sex before, back when I was trying to figure out what the hype was about. Honestly it was a relief to realize I wasn’t going to get it and I could just... stop.” Jon can feel him sigh and settle, and he curls in closer. Then freezes. 

“Is this okay?” he asks. 

“Yes. I’d tell you if it wasn’t. But cuddling is always okay. What about you?” Martin sounds genuinely interesting in hearing all these details. 

“So far it’s all been good. You’re good to cuddle with.” When Jon looks up, Martin is all but beaming. 

“And if I wanted to kiss you?” Martin teases. Jon isn’t actually sure. He’s never thought about kissing as optional. 

“I’ve done it before?” Jon asks. 

“That doesn’t mean you want to do it, and I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.” Martin sounds a little upset, and very firm. Jon thinks some more. 

“I’d like to try kissing you. I kissed Georgie, in uni, when we were dating. It wasn’t gross. A little boring, after fifteen minutes, but not bad.” 

Martin looks at him. “Okay. Would you like to try now?” Jon knows, no Eye needed, that he could say no and Martin wouldn’t mind in the slightest. That actually makes him more sure he wants to kiss the man in front of him. 

“Yes,” he replies. 

“Yes,” Martin echoes. He tucks a strand of Jons hair behind his ear, but leaves his hand on the side of Jon’s face. It’s good thinking, it would be bad to have hair in their mouths. And Martin’s hand is nice. Jon isn’t used to people touching his face. It’s a little overwhelming, but he likes it. 

Martin’s lips are warm and soft, with interesting divots from all the time he spends biting them. It makes him feel special, knowing how the combination of Martin and tea taste, and being so close to this person he loves. He definitely wants to do this part again. 

Martin opens his mouth, and Jon hasn’t kissed anyone in a minute, but he knows vaguely what to do with tongues. It’s less wet than he remembers, and not as weird, but still kind of weird. He pulls away. Martin lets him. 

“I don’t want to do any tongue stuff,” Jon says. 

“Sounds good,” replies Martin. “How about the rest of it.” 

“I like kissing you,” Jon says, blushing. 

“I like kissing you too,” Martin replies. Jon thinks for a minute. 

“Can I kiss the rest of your face?” Jon asks. Now it’s Martin’s turn to turn deep red. 

“Yeah,” he says softly. 

Just as softly, Jon kisses Martin’s forehead, cheeks, and the tip of his nose, before kissing his mouth again. Martin stays still and has his eyes closed. Jon isn’t certain of what he feels, but it’s big and it’s all consuming and it’s nice. Martin kisses his forehead in return, and that’s nice as well, and they cuddle for a while longer, with Jon drawing little circles on whatever part of Martin he can reach. 

It’s  _ really  _ nice. 

Jon drives them into town, and Martin coos at the fluffy highland cows. Jon wants to see Martin's face with his hands buried in that hair, and is smug that the Beholding has no idea how to combat that. They buy groceries, snacks, three different types of tea (mint, lavender, and Earl Grey to supplement the English Breakfast in the cabin), some supplemental clothes, and new sheets. Jon hates the texture of all the ones in the linen closet. It’s a lot of walking, and Jon thinks if he’s going to be in Martin’s car for the foreseeable future it’ll be worth getting a handicap pass. He wonders if it would mark Martin’s car more than their desperate road trip. Still, Martin has promised homemade bread with the giant bag of flour in his hands and Jon’s literal heart skipped a beat. He hasn’t been hungry in a non supernatural way since, well, since he woke up from his coma. He’s trying to imagine what the house will smell like. 

Martin was driving them home, and Jon doesn’t even notice when they’re sitting in the driveway. They stare at the cabin. 

“I never thought I’d live somewhere like this,” Martin says. “This is a fairytale compared to growing up in council flats.” 

“You deserve good things, Martin.” To Jon’s horror, Martin starts crying. He doesn’t make a sound, just one slight hitch in his breath and Martin’s cheeks are coated with tears. 

“I’m so sorry, what did I say?” Jon starts before Martin starts laughing. 

“Nothing, Christ Jon, it’s. I’ve had a bit of a rough go of it and now here we are. With you. Here. With, everything.” He waves his hand around in a helpful way. “I’m a mess.” 

“My mess,” Jon says, mostly without his brain's consent. He stands by it though. “And you can tell me anything.” He will not compel Martin, he will not Know him by any means but his own. 

“I’ve dated a few guys. Mostly before I came out. It didn’t matter that they didn’t treat me very well. Most of those ones would be horrified to know I’m a guy now. And well, I thought I was so lucky to have any interest at all, so I’d do anything to keep it. It never used to matter what I wanted.” He looks over to Jon with a watery smile. “And now I have all of it.” 

“I can kill them, if you want,” Jon offers. Martin actually laughs. 

“I’d rather you stay with me. I promised you bread, after all.” 

“Then I’ll be here.” Jon tells the universe that those words are a threat. Then he turns his focus back to the man he loves. “May I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” says Martin, nearly breathlessly. It’s nice. Jon might be getting used to it, but he doesn’t think it’ll stop being nice. 

He walks into their house, with his cane in one hand and Martin’s hand in the other. He wants to get used to all of this. He squeezes Martin's hand. Martin squeezes back. 

**Author's Note:**

> I like the idea that Jon doesn't know being ace is a thing but I also like him being comfortable with himself and in love and idk. I know Jonny is gonna kill him by the end of the season but I can live in Scotland forever. 
> 
> anyways i love comments like nothing else and i'm supposed to be studying for spring semester finals oops.


End file.
